soapfish

[ sohp-fish ]

noun

, plural (especially collectively) soap·fish, (especially referring to two or more kinds or species) soap·fish·es.

1. any of several serranid fishes of the genus Rypticus, producing a body mucus that gives the skin a soapy quality, as R. saponaceus, inhabiting shallow waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

Word History and Origins

Origin of soapfish¹

First recorded in 1875–80; soap + fish